DOUGLAS WELLINGTON

GOOD NEWS! Douglas received a life-saving kidney on September 6, 2013. He is reported to be doing well . . . his new kidney is functioning, and his future is bright! Douglas thanks everyone for all their love and support throughout his search.

Hello Readers,

I’m Doug Wellington from San Diego, California. I’m 58 years young, and I live with my incredible, devoted wife, Virginia, and our 13-year-old son, Justin. Justin is a Boy Scout, computer kid, pure light, and as wonderful as a son could be. He is what gets me out of bed in the morning, keeps me exercising, keeps me on my strict kidney diet, and gives me strength to endure dialysis. I’ve been on dialysis since March, 2012, and believe me, it requires mental toughness. If I were to choose ONE SIMPLE DREAM, one goal, it would be to go camping with my little Scout and his troop instead of waving goodbye at the door step every month.

My disease is called glomerulonephritis/igA nephropathy. The docs are not sure what caused it, but a streptococcal infection (such as strep throat or cellulitis) can be a culprit. It affects the kidneys’ ability to filter toxins from the body, eventually leading to complete kidney failure. At this point, I have only 10% kidney functioning left and cannot survive without dialysis or a transplant. Dialysis, however, does only about 10% of the work that a kidney does, is very hard on the body, and is only a temporary treatment.

I am lucky in that I work for myself remodeling houses. Not having to go to an office every day, I am still able to support my family.

Another inspiration is my lifelong passion for songwriting. I’ve been a guitarist since I was about 8 years old. It is amazing, but I have discovered that it's true: Singing IS good for the soul! I am a mystic at heart, spiritual seeker, and an eternal optimist.

I can accept blood types A or O, but a donor of ANY blood type can be my donor via my hospital’s kidney exchange program (also known as paired or chain donation), which matches one incompatible donor/recipient pair with another pair in the same situation. Thus, it is possible to donate even if your blood type and mine are not compatible. (Incidentally, my hospital, Scripps Green, recently participated in the first intercontinental kidney transplant chain, which began in Greece. You can read about it here.)

You don’t have to live in California to donate, and all expenses are paid. And, my transplant clinic in La Jolla is next to the the Pacific Ocean. So come on out to the coast...and save a life while you're at it!

If you’d like to be tested to see if you’re a match, please call the Scripps Green transplant coordinators in La Jolla at 858-554-4310. The clinic is open from 8AM to 5PM, Pacific Standard Time. They can patiently answer all your questions. You will probably need to leave a message, so please offer them a time frame in which to call back.